does battery charge at idle?

Baci

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
Messages
301
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
SL, UT
Visit site
I have been trying to decide if a battery tender is somethig I want and so i asked a buddy who races and works on bikes and owns a zillion of them....he told me to totally use a tender for the winter because the bikes wont charge the battery at idle so starting it in the garage would do more harm then good. (plus I started to think that 5 min might generate condensation that will also be bad for motor and exhaust).

Is this true? I have no reason not to believe him, however I havent seen anything in all the debates about tenders and trickle chargers.....


Leave the tender leads on and having a quick disconnect seems waaaay nicer than pulling the battery...plus if its nice id like to take a spin. Especially if the battery will not charge at idle.
 

The Toecutter

Hero for Hire
Premium Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
3,794
Reaction score
61
Points
0
Location
U.S.A.
Visit site
The battery will charge at idle,it charges at max output above 2,000 rpm.... now the problem with trying to keep a battery alive by just leting the bike idle is when you cold start any engine it takes Alot more fuel to get it up and running,so what happens after a few times of just starting the engine and not riding it will foul your sparkplugs.....and its a whole lot harder to replace the Plugs than it is to instal a battery tender.... IMO I wiuld get the battery Tender on there and forget about it. :thumbup: :rockon:
 

Baci

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
Messages
301
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
SL, UT
Visit site
Tender it is!! only problem is I will have to find a new place to store it now haha.

Appreciate the info, id rather do a little work now and save some headaches later.
 

greg

UK Luchador
Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
1,771
Reaction score
12
Points
0
Location
Stockport, UK
Visit site
The condensation problem is true though, best bet it to go on a long run before putting it away. watch out for mice and spiders making homes in the air box too
 

RJ2112

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
2,108
Reaction score
23
Points
0
Location
Dahlgren, VA/USA
www.etsy.com
Five minutes at fast idle would almost certainly result in a net discharge to the battery, especially if you are cold starting the bike in winter. Thicker oil takes more power to spin that warm oil, the battery is also less chemically active when it is cold as well.

Add in the MINOR amount of charge available near idle, and you have a recipe for issues.

Charging on a typical MC system doesn't really work well at low engine speeds. On a bike that 'spins' as high as this one, and is operated close to 5K RPM in typical street riding speeds, I'd have to think it wouldn't really start charging effectively until you have 3K or more on the tach.

A 'smart' battery tender is waaaaayyyyyy more reliable and effective.
 

Signal 50

Junior Member
Joined
May 2, 2010
Messages
349
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Location
CT
Visit site
I have been trying to decide if a battery tender is somethig I want and so i asked a buddy who races and works on bikes and owns a zillion of them....he told me to totally use a tender for the winter because the bikes wont charge the battery at idle so starting it in the garage would do more harm then good. (plus I started to think that 5 min might generate condensation that will also be bad for motor and exhaust).

Is this true? I have no reason not to believe him, however I havent seen anything in all the debates about tenders and trickle chargers.....


Leave the tender leads on and having a quick disconnect seems waaaay nicer than pulling the battery...plus if its nice id like to take a spin. Especially if the battery will not charge at idle.

In my opinion, a battery tender shouldn't even be a question. For the amount of time it takes to install the leads, and the amount they cost it is a total no brainer. They sell them at most shops.

Ring Terminal Harness - Accessories - Products - Batterytender.com


I have mine strung up near my handlebars. In the winter I use the SAE lead to charge my batter. In the summer when I'm riding I have an SAE to USB lead which charges my phone and GPS.
 

fazil

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
922
Reaction score
14
Points
18
Location
Istanbul
Visit site
i5759280_power-chart-jpg


Charge / rpm relation has been discussed before.

This graphic shows that charge is constant after 2000 rpm.
At idle (1250rpm) it generates 200Watt and 185 watt is used for general electric components.
So if you waiting at idle won't charge it enough. (It will take hours)
 

TownsendsFJR1300

2007 FZ6
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 7, 2009
Messages
12,516
Reaction score
1,157
Points
113
Location
Cape Coral, Florida, USA
Visit site
+1 on on all the above.

The bike will charge JUST slightly at idle(1300 RPM's, no dual headlights, added on electrical goodies).

Max charge is +14 volts @ 5,000 RPM's per my Yamaha shop manual..

A Battery Tender or such (automatic) is a must IMHO...
 

Olas

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Englewood, CO
Visit site
Where did you get this plot from?

i5759280_power-chart-jpg


Charge / rpm relation has been discussed before.

This graphic shows that charge is constant after 2000 rpm.
At idle (1250rpm) it generates 200Watt and 185 watt is used for general electric components.
So if you waiting at idle won't charge it enough. (It will take hours)
 

TownsendsFJR1300

2007 FZ6
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 7, 2009
Messages
12,516
Reaction score
1,157
Points
113
Location
Cape Coral, Florida, USA
Visit site
Where did you get this plot from?

I can tell you its not from an FZ6...That chart is NOT in any United States 04-06 or 07-09 GENUINE YAMAHA shop manual.

My FZ at 1,000 RPM'S does NOT CHARGE, raising the idle to 1350, it does indeed charge, not alot, but it does charge slightly, that's the dual headlight mod as well... The charge INCREASES with RPM's obviously.

I worked on an 1100 Honda Shadow that, with its low RPM's likely had a charging curve similar to that. About 14 volts just off idle..
 
Last edited:

Baci

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
Messages
301
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
SL, UT
Visit site
How many Amps or mA do I want in a charger? they range from 750 mA to 1.25 A or so it seems.......I was looking at this one.....good price and free shipping.


http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/NOCO-Genius-G750-6V-12V-750mA-.75A-Battery-Charger/5597086/product.html?cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}
 

TownsendsFJR1300

2007 FZ6
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 7, 2009
Messages
12,516
Reaction score
1,157
Points
113
Location
Cape Coral, Florida, USA
Visit site
How many Amps or mA do I want in a charger? they range from 750 mA to 1.25 A or so it seems.......I was looking at this one.....good price and free shipping.


http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/NOCO-Genius-G750-6V-12V-750mA-.75A-Battery-Charger/5597086/product.html?cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}

Anywhere up to 1.25 amp (automatic) is fine.

IMHO, I'd stick with a Battery tender. They also have .8 amp WATERPROOF tender if its going to be outside (I have one on the boat lift for the boat)..:thumbup:
 

TownsendsFJR1300

2007 FZ6
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 7, 2009
Messages
12,516
Reaction score
1,157
Points
113
Location
Cape Coral, Florida, USA
Visit site
waterproof would have more uses thats for sure, thanks for the tips!

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-800-Waterproof-Charger/dp/B000CITKCE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354833255&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+tender+waterproof]Battery Tender 800 Waterproof 12V Battery Charger : Amazon.com : Automotive[/ame]

Should be a three year warranty too...
 
Top